Cell phone toting superhumans

[art.robinson]

Depending on the study (and some are many years old) it is as dangerous
to be using a cell phone as it is to be legally impaired by alcohol.
Some of the more recent studies are putting it as high as 2X the legal
blood alcohol level.

Ask any MADD mom. Would you feel any better if your kid was killed by
someone on a cell phone instead of a drunk? The kid is just as dead and
the pain would be just as unbearable. 

The hard line taken against drunk drivers has been very effective and
yet cell phone/text messaging seems to be tolerated in many areas,
although it is changing!

There was a phone-in on CNN asking for solutions to prevent texting
while driving. There were all sorts of hi tech solutions suggested to
prevent the practice, but no one seemed to think that the solution is
already in existence. Just treat it exactly the same as impaired driving
with all the same penalties and social stigma.

One thing worries me and that is the fact that "hands free" devices are
still considered OK. Most of the same studies conclude that the risk is
pretty well the same as a hand held device. If you see some one using a
handheld then at least you can see it and expect them to do something
stupid, while hands free devices don't provide the same warning. 

I think that the only reason that hands free phones are exempt is the
fact that it's just too hard to spot and enforce.

It will have to get better when the ban is complete as I think that so
many drivers want to be seen as the phone is an affectation and they
want to look important. Facing a ticket, a fine and possible demit may
well take some of the shine off it!

It's going to be interesting to see if driving accidents reduce once the
law is in operation (October 26th in Ontario). 

Just my mini-rant!

Art in TO 

-----Original Message-----
From: gpzlist-bounces at micapeak.com [mailto:gpzlist-bounces at micapeak.com]
On Behalf Of William K Denton
Sent: 12 October 2009 15:29
To: 'GPz List'
Subject: Re: Cell phone toting superhumans

Paul,

The sad thing is that it would be (technologically) easy to prevent
texting 
and cellphoning while driving, but the phone companies would lose too
much 
business, so it will never happen.  All you would have to do is add
phone 
circuitry that disconnects incoming and outgoing signals when the
internal 
GPS detects motion above a certain mph or kph.  Of course, folks would
argue 
that this would prevent private automobile or mass transit passengers
from 
making calls, but with nearly 7 billion people in the world, I'm sure at

least one mind would think of a solution to this new "problem".

Of course, my alternative would be a driver air bag that transforms into
a 
12" pointed dagger whenever the driver's cellphone is being used, but
that's 
just me.

Bill in Yardley, PA
wkdenton at verizon.net
PAMSP RiderCoach

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Landry" <p_landry at telus.net>

> The only thing that makes the onset of winter and having to put the
bike
> away Ok, is stories like this..
> Scary part is this type of thing seems to be growing everywhere..  And
we
> only ever hear of a small percentage of them (likely a good thing!).